Living the Live in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta

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Month: April 2013

What does it mean: we are living an IDEA? Today I will go deeper into this. As long as there is a sense of I am, there is the manifest, and it will create itself impressions or idea’s based upon earlier identifications. Idea’s that will possibly turn themselves into manifestations. A bit like the ‘ Your wish is my command’ principle: what you identify with is what you get. Sounds reasonable. I, Idea, Identification, Manifestation, I, Identification, and so on.

But still within the making of idea’s there seems to be a separate control centre where idea’s are made. And that in favour of idea’s that turn the universe into your liking. True? To some extend, yes but, as in Truth, no.

As long as there is this idea of a soul or some spiritual part of ourself hidden behind an ego (forget that word now please), a somehow ‘ individual ‘ part that remains unchanged and untouched by life and death itself, we trick ourself into a fantasy-world. And yes, that is the creation of another Idea.

N-universe illustration (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Q: Can you explain to me what you mean by living an IDEA? I made the observation that in one way or the other I always end up having Idea’s. I start to realise that it is impossible to stop having them as long as I am living, because all objects like you say, including my own body are already expression of an Idea. It confuses me.

A: Good question, because everything part of this manifestation, no exception, is Idea itself.

Q: So we are always part of a manifestation made out of idea’s?

A: As in manifestation: yes, because it is an idea into form. As in what you really are , non-manifested, or awareness itself: no. I will tell you a story and you will understand.

On your path to self-realisation you suddenly notice that you have a red body, wearing red clothes. You eat red food in a fully red world. Everything is red. There are no exceptions: all there is, is red. It is like the colour scheme has changed and everything is showing red to you. And it has always been like that! Red in just one variety! Thoughts, feelings, all your senses…red it is.

Now you suddenly are fully aware of this you try to talk about it with your friends but, even your loved-ones are not aware of the fact that everything is ‘red’. They don’t bother, because they are not aware of it. They just don’t see everything, including themselves as one and the same: red.

Q: So you mean by whatever I want to change in my life it will always be…..red?

A: YES, slow down, but you get it. Now you will be able to understand! Within this process of you observing everything, nothing excluded, fully aware of its redness, you start to realise that YOU, this awareness, this I AM THIS, has created itself a red manifest, now. At the same moment you realise YOU are more than just red, you are everything and beyond all colours. For the first time you are able to see the manifest and all there is just as it is: now as in the fact that YOU has shown itself in a fully red-only manifestation. And you will love it!

Q: And I AM that where red appears into!

A: Correct. You are the red manifest and where it appears into at the same time. But now you realise this! Will this knowledge make it possible to see other colours? What do you think?

Life is a precious gift. Don’t waste it.

Q: Yes, because I AM everything.

A: Nice answer, but I have to disappoint you. As long as this creation into form, your body and therefore everything that exists from thoughts, feelings to the most distant stars in the universe, will be seen into form, …they will be red. And knows no time, no space, no condition at all. It is just red. Now you realise that this all happens into YOU. And there is nothing left that will interfere. Now you will relax.

Q: Now what happens when you realise all this? You first have to die to create another manifest in other colours?

A: See what your mind is tricking you into? It still thinks there is another, perhaps better existence, possibly in a new body in a new form. This is what holding you back from self-realisation. You don’t have to give up your red coloured life. You just have to be aware that it is all red, no matter what you do, and that YOU are unaffected by all this, because this manifest is what you are! This awareness and that YOU are the creator and also the created universe both at the same time is enough to know. There is nothing more to know even. That is all, and already this can take a long time to understand, to have absorbed it. Take your time.

Last week I stumbled upon some stories of people that had taken a so-called re-trait. Just a few days away from work and family for a weekend of spiritual rest and relaxation. You also could go to a warm and sunny holiday – destination along the Mediterranean but, no a re-trait is something with a more deeper meaning than some profound beach-relaxation. Often the advertising words are ‘ silence ‘ and ‘ serene ‘ with the hope to uncover some long forgotten parts of yourself. But more often silence, quietness, inner-peace, are words included as beneficial parts of the journey to get to know your true self. True, or still perhaps a stubborn Identification with silence and inner-peace?

Q: I have done quite a few re-traits in wonderful ashrams. On that spots I did a lot of meditation and yoga. For a long time for me meditating within the boundaries of a group with the same interest was an important part of my process to self-realisation. What is your opinion about it?

A: If this is part of your life, and you enjoy the relaxation, just to be able to handle modern busy life, I would say: give it a try. Why not!

Q: And the meditation, yoga, mantra-singing?

This Statue of Shiva

A: I know where you want to trick me into but, I am sorry, I am not rejecting what you prefer to do in life. When it comes to relaxation, it just can be wonderful to visit these spiritual re-traits. I mention spiritual, because that is often the context of these breaks from daily life. But what is really your question?

Q: I have a few hesitations…I..

A: Hold on, I know. I have been doing enough meditation myself, years ago. I even have done Yoga with my western body, and that all at very silent peaceful places. I can tell you, I became very relaxed and I loved to do it, but as in a part of my road to self-realisation, it has brought me not what I was hoping for.

Little Exercise

I give you a little exercise. During the next weeks, three times a day at 9.00, 14.00 and 19.00, where ever and with whom you are, you hold with everything you do. At that moment, and it doesn’t matter where you are, on your work, at the mall, in your house, the car, you stop the clock ticking. For a short period you just observe: what do you see, is it a silent beach or the platform of a crowded subway-station? What are the thoughts that are passing by and how do you feel? Are you with company or alone. Were you in a conversation or just listening to music? Are you jogging or, sitting on the coach, having sex (yes, even then), or whatever comes to you. Include everything. The good and the bad. When you were in a bad mood, just experience that. Don’t change the impulse.

Raven, with her hood down, meditating.

And don’t close your eyes. Leave them open. What you see, smell, touch, feel, taste, think, include everything and than take in the one that is watching all this. The observer is always part of the observation. Therefore the observer is the observation and that what is being observed at the same time. Yes at the same time, because don’t forget to include the idea of time. This is the moment, everything and all.

When some sort of activity comes up, include it also. Go on with observing without interfering as long as you like. Now within all this, the realisation will be there that this is it. This and all there is, is what you are and only exists because you are all this and you have invited it to be. This is beyond silence and peace. It includes everything and all.

After a while you realise that the one observing the observer and that what is being observed never leaves. It is always there. I am alive.

Becoming a better person. To be kind for your loved-ones. To help others. And this in the most generous ways. It is easy to make this list much longer with numerous views on how to behave like a compassionate person, all caring and sharing. And indeed you don’t have to search the internet for a long time to find quite a few teachers, offering courses how to discover your most inner feelings. All with the invitation to be part of a happening full of Tender, Love and Care.

Nothing more, nothing less. But is it automatically a guarantee that you will win the Mother Theresa award one day?

Q: For you living THE HEART is living your TRUE Nature. Now that you realise this Heart, does it automatically mean that you will always be compassionate and helpful towards others?

A: Some sort of saint?

Q: Open and understanding, loveable?

A: Long time ago I was cleaning a bathroom. A spider was in a corner, probably ready to build a web. I picked up the little creature and took it outside the house. At that moment I realised something had changed. As a young boy I surely had been catching flies, spiders and all kinds of insects that crossed my path. Just like little boys can act with a sudden rage to kill.

Now what had changed is, that I had realised there is nothing outside ME. I am everything and all there is. Without ME nothing even would be there. In other words, that spider was part of ME. Just like you and every other living being that appears into ME is part of ME at that very same moment. And why should I kill MYself?

Q: Was helping the spider a result of greater awareness?

A: I am sure it was.

Q: Well there you admit that living the Heart, will make you a ‘ better ‘ person.

A: No worries, I know what you mean with a ‘ better person ‘. Listen, religions have turned it all around. In Christianity we have the ten commandments and numerous other rules and regulations that will help you towards the Kingdom of Heaven. In Buddhism you will soon learn about the eight-folded path and you will try to practice that. In religion we learn how to look, to speak, to act, to meditate, to remember, to eat, and many more. All in a greater benefit towards Heaven or Enlightenment.

I will never encourage you to act according rules and the morality of a self-chosen order. Acting is living the life of an actor. It lets you live within the boundaries of a group, but you are not the group.The group appears into YOU. Rules always have the purpose to regulate. And in regulation we give up freedom.

Q: Yeah well, perhaps not rules but, you also give us tools to be more aware of who we truly are!

A: Look. That is all. Truly Look and experience. When you feel down, feel down. When you sing of joy, sing of joy. For some silent meditation is good, some practice yoga, others visit satsangs. Here in the west, people paint, ride bikes, go fishing, do needlework to relax. Do it with attention, be the witness and your true nature will unfold itself to you. Exclude nothing. Please no rules and regulations.

Q: Still it doesn’t give answer to the ‘ better person ‘ you will become?

Tender 柔 (Photo credit: kingmagic)

A: Religion teaches you the other way around. First practice endless rules and regulations. When you do this with full attention, it will get you deeper towards entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever your religion is promising you.

I invite you to take immediately your spot in your Kingdom of Heaven. No rules and regulations needed. Not tomorrow, not next week. Now! There is no waiting. There is nothing to be done to realise that. Just watch and act accordingly. Be like the ‘ watcher on the hill ‘; At the same time you act and be the one watching yourself acting. Soon enough the acting and the actor become one. You will notice this change of perspective. Invite everything and all that is asking your attention. Now within the Realisation of THE HEART, Life will present itself accordingly. Everything becomes clear as it is. When this means, that people start to like the new you, invite this as a great gift. It is the sign you finally start to love YOURself.